The Ghost Woods
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $30.09
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Paula Masterton
-
Written by:
-
C.J. Cooke
About this listen
‘Haunting’ Sara Sheridan
‘Intriguing, atmospheric, thought-provoking’ Alexandra Bell
‘Beautifully crafted, thrilling and atmospheric’ Rebecca Netley
In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall.
This place is shrouded in folklore – old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who is not quite a child.
Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed.
Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something.
Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live in the grounds – and together they begin to unpick the secrets of this place.
As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew – and risk what she holds most dear.
Praise for The Ghost Woods . . .‘Cooke has mixed the darkness of reality with a magical realism that will have you gripped’ Woman & Home
‘This chilling gothic tale is the perfect choice for a book club . . . atmospheric’ Prima
‘Original and compelling, The Ghost Woods is a beautifully written, chilling tale that will stay with the reader long after the book is finished’ Elizabeth Lee
‘[C.J. Cooke is] a master of the feminist gothic!’ Katherine May
’The Ghost Woods rattles along, with a twisty plot that defies expectations right from the start . . . highly enjoyable’ Sally Hinchcliffe
‘An eerie gothic thriller’ Samantha Downing
‘Deliciously unsettling, strangely believable’ Carly Reagon
‘With a great plot, this suspenseful and compelling story touches on the difficult history of women in mid-20th-century Scotland’ Candis
©2022 C.J. Cooke (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedYou may also enjoy...
-
Weyward
- A Novel
- Written by: Emilia Hart
- Narrated by: Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley, Nell Barlow
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart's Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.
-
-
Captivating!
- By Kayla on 2023-11-09
Written by: Emilia Hart
-
A Lullaby for Witches
- Written by: Hester Fox
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once there was a young woman from a well-to-do New England family who never quite fit with the drawing rooms and parlors of her kin. Called instead to the tangled woods and wild cliffs surrounding her family’s estate, Margaret Harlowe grew both stranger and more beautiful as she cultivated her uncanny power. Soon, whispers of “witch” dogged her footsteps, and Margaret’s power began to wind itself with the tendrils of something darker.
-
-
A great listen
- By Ani P on 2024-02-09
Written by: Hester Fox
-
The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
- Written by: Hester Fox
- Narrated by: Ell Potter
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With the stroke of a pen, twenty-three-year-old Ivy Radcliffe becomes Lady Hayworth, owner of a sprawling estate on the Yorkshire moors. Ivy has never heard of Blackwood Abbey, or of the ancient bloodline from which she’s descended. With nothing to keep her in London since losing her brother in the Great War, she warily makes her way to her new home.
Written by: Hester Fox
-
The London Seance Society
- Written by: Sarah Penner
- Narrated by: Lauren Irwin, Alex Wyndham
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike. Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult.
-
-
Slow to start.
- By Robin Johnston-Carder on 2023-09-29
Written by: Sarah Penner
-
Starling House
- A Reese's Book Club Pick
- Written by: Alix E. Harrow
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Opal is a lot of things—orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier—but above all, she's a determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago. All she left behind were dark rumors—and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway.
-
-
Not what I expected
- By Audrey C on 2023-11-20
Written by: Alix E. Harrow
-
The Watchers
- Written by: A.M. Shine
- Narrated by: Jacqueline Milne
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This forest isn't charted on any map. Every car breaks down at its treeline. Mina's is no different. Left stranded, she is forced into the dark woodland only to find a woman shouting, urging Mina to run to a concrete bunker. As the door slams behind her, the building is besieged by screams. Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time.
-
-
Great book
- By Emily on 2024-12-11
Written by: A.M. Shine
-
Weyward
- A Novel
- Written by: Emilia Hart
- Narrated by: Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley, Nell Barlow
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart's Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.
-
-
Captivating!
- By Kayla on 2023-11-09
Written by: Emilia Hart
-
A Lullaby for Witches
- Written by: Hester Fox
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once there was a young woman from a well-to-do New England family who never quite fit with the drawing rooms and parlors of her kin. Called instead to the tangled woods and wild cliffs surrounding her family’s estate, Margaret Harlowe grew both stranger and more beautiful as she cultivated her uncanny power. Soon, whispers of “witch” dogged her footsteps, and Margaret’s power began to wind itself with the tendrils of something darker.
-
-
A great listen
- By Ani P on 2024-02-09
Written by: Hester Fox
-
The Last Heir to Blackwood Library
- Written by: Hester Fox
- Narrated by: Ell Potter
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With the stroke of a pen, twenty-three-year-old Ivy Radcliffe becomes Lady Hayworth, owner of a sprawling estate on the Yorkshire moors. Ivy has never heard of Blackwood Abbey, or of the ancient bloodline from which she’s descended. With nothing to keep her in London since losing her brother in the Great War, she warily makes her way to her new home.
Written by: Hester Fox
-
The London Seance Society
- Written by: Sarah Penner
- Narrated by: Lauren Irwin, Alex Wyndham
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike. Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult.
-
-
Slow to start.
- By Robin Johnston-Carder on 2023-09-29
Written by: Sarah Penner
-
Starling House
- A Reese's Book Club Pick
- Written by: Alix E. Harrow
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Opal is a lot of things—orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier—but above all, she's a determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago. All she left behind were dark rumors—and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway.
-
-
Not what I expected
- By Audrey C on 2023-11-20
Written by: Alix E. Harrow
-
The Watchers
- Written by: A.M. Shine
- Narrated by: Jacqueline Milne
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This forest isn't charted on any map. Every car breaks down at its treeline. Mina's is no different. Left stranded, she is forced into the dark woodland only to find a woman shouting, urging Mina to run to a concrete bunker. As the door slams behind her, the building is besieged by screams. Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time.
-
-
Great book
- By Emily on 2024-12-11
Written by: A.M. Shine
-
Spells for Forgetting
- A Novel
- Written by: Adrienne Young
- Narrated by: Emily Rankin, Dan Bittner, Mark Deakins, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Emery Blackwood’s life changed forever the night her best friend was found dead and the love of her life, August Salt, was accused of murdering her. Years later, she is doing what her teenage self swore she never would: living a quiet existence on the misty, remote shores of Saoirse Island and running the family’s business, Blackwood’s Tea Shoppe Herbal Tonics & Tea Leaf Readings. But when the island, rooted in folklore and magic, begins to show signs of strange happenings, Emery knows that something is coming.
-
-
Mystery, suspense and love.
- By breeaoag on 2024-10-27
Written by: Adrienne Young
-
The Lost Apothecary
- A Novel
- Written by: Sarah Penner
- Narrated by: Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, Lauren Irwin
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious 12-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.
-
-
I've never been so torn over an audio book
- By Marc Faubert on 2022-01-11
Written by: Sarah Penner
-
A House with Good Bones
- Written by: T. Kingfisher
- Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"Mom seems off." Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone. She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out. But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be.
-
-
Compelling and Charming
- By Amy Braun on 2024-10-15
Written by: T. Kingfisher
-
The Unmaking of June Farrow
- A Novel
- Written by: Adrienne Young
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.
-
-
Deeply complex story
- By Beverly Delaney on 2024-01-15
Written by: Adrienne Young
-
The Honey Witch
- Written by: Sydney J. Shields
- Narrated by: Mia Hutchinson Shaw
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty-one-year-old Marigold Claude has always preferred the company of the spirits of the meadow to any of the suitors who’ve tried to woo her. So when her grandmother whisks her away to the family cottage on the tiny Isle of Innisfree with an offer to train her as the next Honey Witch, she accepts immediately. But her newfound magic and independence come with a price: No one can fall in love with the Honey Witch. When Lottie Burke, a notoriously grumpy skeptic who doesn’t believe in magic, shows up on her doorstep, Marigold can’t resist the challenge to prove to her that magic is real.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Sarah on 2024-06-13
Written by: Sydney J. Shields
-
The Spite House
- A Novel
- Written by: Johnny Compton
- Narrated by: Adam Lazarre-White
- Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he's desperate for money—it's not easy to find steady, safe work when you can't provide references, you can't stay in one place for long, and you're paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.
-
-
Suspenseful, I loved it!
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-08-05
Written by: Johnny Compton
What the critics say
‘Wonderful! [C.J. Cooke is] a master of the feminist gothic!’ Katherine May
‘Original and compelling, The Ghost Woods is a beautifully written, chilling tale that will stay with the reader long after the book is finished’ Elizabeth Lee
‘It’s no surprise that C.J. Cooke has done it again. She is the queen of gothic thrillers and never fails to amaze me with her writing. The Ghost Woods is an eerie, timely story and an instant classic of the genre’ Samantha Downing
'Beautifully crafted, this thrilling and atmospheric read had me racing to the very satisfying end' Rebecca Netley
‘A haunting and gothic deep dive into danger’ Sara Sheridan
‘Deliciously unsettling, strangely believable’ Carly Reagon
‘Original, moving . . . A twisty gothic thriller’ Anne Wyn Clark
‘I loved The Ghost Woods . . . the perfect chilly read’ Nina Pottell
‘Hauntingly spellbinding. Once again C J Cooke combines history, horror and heart to bring us a mysterious tale wrapped in eerie magic’ N.J. Simmonds
‘Intriguing, atmospheric, thought-provoking and just the right amount of creepy’ Alexandra Bell
What listeners say about The Ghost Woods
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jennifer Easton
- 2022-12-11
Beautiful
I absolutely loved it! The story was so interesting I absolutely loved the concept. Mushrooms are fascinating!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2023-01-04
loved getting lost in The Ghost Woods!
an intriguing, disquieting, mysterious and emotional journey.
I loved that it's set in Scotland where my mother was born.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Meredith
- 2023-08-21
Intriguing story!
A very interesting story that has you guessing at every turn. The ending came as a surprise even with a slow reveal of clues as to what is happening. I really enjoyed it! Creepy and scary but also heartfelt and honest. I cared for each of the characters as if they were my sisters. I look forward to reading another book by this author!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2025-01-01
Nice magical realism, allegorical.
Nice modern Gothic. Worth a listen if you're looking for a woman-centered point of view, with strong female characters whose struggles are explored without feeling exploitative. Dated in the 50/60s so it's old enough to feel isolated and spooky but modern enough to hit close to home. I found it a bit slow at times, but the character development was worth it and the last bit had me hooked.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- kindree Schafer
- 2023-06-29
Spooky, atmospheric, and surprisingly moving
This book had beautiful descriptions, and well thought out characters, even if the plot was a wee bit predictable. Would recommend to anyone who likes a good creepy mystery.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!